How to Blur Faces in Premiere Pro (Fast and Easy Masking Guide)
Whether you're protecting someone's identity or adding a stylistic effect, blurring faces is a skill every editor should know. With Adobe Premiere Pro, it's surprisingly easy to track a face and apply a blur using built-in tools. This guide will walk you through the process step by step using both mosaic and Gaussian blur.
Let’s get right into it.
Step 1: Duplicate the Clip
Start by duplicating the clip you want to blur:
Select your footage in the timeline
Hold Command (Mac) or Alt (Windows)
Drag the clip upward to duplicate it on a new video layer
This duplicated layer will hold the blur, keeping your original footage untouched.
Step 2: Apply the Crop Effect
Next, go to your Effects panel:
Open Window > Effects
Search for Crop and drag it onto the top clip
Then open Effect Controls via Window > Effect Controls
Click the ellipse mask icon in the Crop effect to place a circular mask on the clip.
Step 3: Position and Track the Mask
Resize and move the circular mask to cover the person's face.
Grab the anchor points and adjust the shape
Place it over the face as precisely as you can
Go to the start of the clip
Click Track Selected Mask Forward
Premiere Pro will now auto-track the face frame by frame.
Step 4: Crop and Invert the Mask
Once tracking is complete:
Scroll down the Crop effect controls
Crop in from the top or side until only the masked area remains
Then click Invert Mask to isolate the face instead of the background
This sets the stage for your blur effect.
Step 5: Add Mosaic or Gaussian Blur
Now it’s time to actually blur the face. You have two main options:
Option A: Mosaic Blur
Search for Mosaic in the Effects panel
Drag it onto the top clip
In Effect Controls, increase the Horizontal and Vertical Blocks
The higher the number, the more pixelated the blur
Option B: Gaussian Blur
Instead of Mosaic, search for Gaussian Blur
Drag it onto the clip and increase the blurriness
This creates a smoother, more natural blur
Turn off one effect if you're testing both.
Step 6: Feather the Mask
To make the blur blend more naturally:
Scroll down in Mask Settings
Increase the Feather value slightly
This softens the edges of the blur for a more polished look
Final Result
You now have a clean, tracked face blur using either Mosaic or Gaussian Blur. It’s easy, customizable, and works well for most editing situations.
Whether you’re using stock footage, interviews, or street scenes, this technique can save you time and keep your videos looking professional.
Want more easy-to-follow editing guides like this one?
👉 Explore the full channel here: YouTube Channel